Alumni in Memoriam: Dr. Richard Rylander

Richard Rylander passed away January 2, 2024. He will be lovingly remembered by his mother, sister, nephew, niece and grand nieces, and countless family and friends. Born September 14, 1953, on St. Paul’s east side, he grew up with a strong fascination with science from the time he knew what science was, setting a goal early on to become a researcher at 3M. Rich graduated from Johnson Highschool in 1971 and went on to earn all of his higher degrees, including his PhD, in electrical engineering from the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. He fulfilled his goal of working at 3M starting in the early 1980s until his retirement. He has several published articles and patents to his name from his work there, including a prominent achievement of being on the team to develop the 3M Littmann Cardiology Stethoscope. He continued to explore science and engineering even after retirement, creating several gadgets for family that he would excitedly share.

Rich also had a strong interest in several artistic endeavors, with photography and music his primary passions. For many years he could be found at “the boom site” in Stillwater taking pictures of scenery and wildlife. He also would develop his black and white photos in his darkroom in his house. Through the years he taught himself how to play the banjo, guitar, keyboard, accordion (the only actual lessons he had!) and loved all genres of music from bluegrass to classical. He also had a love of literature and film, memorizing several poems that he would often recite including “The Cremation of Sam McGee” by Robert Service and “The Jabberwocky” by Lewis Carroll.